Online Master's Degree
MA in History
American History

Become an American History Scholar with an Online Master’s in American History

Explore major political, cultural, social and economic shifts in American society in the Master of Arts in History with a concentration in American History program at Southern New Hampshire University. By learning how to apply the historian's tools to your own interests, you'll exit the program a true American history scholar.

With an online master's in American history, you can pursue careers in research, writing, teaching, government or publishing. The knowledge and skills developed by studying American history will give you an edge in a wide range of professions.

See Yourself Succeed in American History

The online master’s in American history program will deepen your knowledge of the process of "making" history through analyzing historical scholarship, crafting written communications and defending the relevance of the past as it pertains to making informed decisions about the future. You'll emerge not only with up-to-date knowledge, but also with the research, writing and critical-thinking skills to work in a variety of fields where today’s real world meets meaningful interpretations of the past.

As a private, nonprofit university, SNHU has one mission – to help you see yourself succeed. The benefits of enrolling in SNHU’s online graduate history programs include:

Affordability. Take advantage of some of the most affordable tuition rates in the nation

Networking. Tap into our nationwide network of alumni for tips and career opportunities

Student support. Count on the ongoing support of dedicated academic and career advisors specialized in your area of study

Admission Requirements

Acceptance decisions are made on a rolling basis throughout the year for our 5 graduate terms. You can apply at any time and get a decision within days of submitting all required materials. To apply, simply contact an admission counselor, who can help you explore financial options. Your counselor can also walk you through the application process, which involves completing a graduate application ($40 fee) and providing undergraduate transcripts.

Candidates must also submit a personal statement. Students with an undergraduate GPA below 2.75 are eligible for provisional acceptance. Based on your educational background, some Master of Arts provisional students may be required to take SNHU 501 – Introduction to Graduate Studies – which will provide students with the scholarly tools to be successful in their Master of Arts program of study.

Career Outlook

Without historians, there would be no history. Writing it, preserving it and applying it are integral to a surprising number of professions. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that most historians work in government agencies, while others work in museums, archives, historical societies, publishing houses, research organizations and consulting firms.*

Curriculum

The online history graduate programs advance the applications of history while strengthening research and writing skills. After completing the master's in history core programs, you'll choose five American history courses and fulfill a capstone experience that results in a project or research paper.

View Full Curriculum in the Catalog

Courses May Include

HIS
501
Historiography

This course provides a deep-level exploration into the study of history and historical writing, focusing on the craft and profession of history and its relationship to society. The course contends with the changing nature of historical interpretations and arguments, and the role of historical meta-narratives in shaping one's understanding and experience of history. Students are asked to position and evaluate their own thinking in relation to various historical analyses, defending a preferred approach to a relevant area of interest.

HIS
502
Historical Methods

Historians use a wide variety of methods and approaches to the study, analysis, and evaluation of historical accounts and sources. This course offers students an opportunity to investigate various methodological approaches and the relationships between method, theory, and interpretation in historical research. Students will design an initial research proposal and articulate how a chosen methodology positions them appropriately to address the central issues and problems of their research.

HIS
510
Comparative History and Research

Comparative research is a valuable tool for historians to be able to discover possible historical and social connections across separate historical settings. This course introduces students to best practices, issues, and challenges of comparative history approaches. Central to the course is the development of effective research practices in comparative history: identifying appropriate sources, articulating the context and focus of a research project, and making an informed and supported argument. This course will use the topic of democratic revolutions to model comparative research.

HIS
520
Historical Lenses and Scholarship

What does it mean to focus on the economic issues of an historical event? What considerations of race, gender, class, or other lenses of difference can be made to illuminate the social and cultural experiences of people throughout history? The central focus of this course is to provide students with an exploration into various lenses of historical research and analysis and how these lenses can structure the types of questions an historian asks. The course uses the topic of transatlantic slavery to introduce several lenses that can be applied to future topics of interest to students. Students will integrate best practices for the production and writing of historical scholarship using a chosen lens (or lenses) of analysis.

HIS
790
Research Seminar for Historians (Capstone)

The capstone experience integrates knowledge and skills developed in previous coursework with a focus on developing scholarship in a student's chosen area of specialization. This course focuses on helping students propose a topic for research, conduct preliminary research on primary and secondary sources, and develop a capstone research proposal. This course prepares students for the formal capstone submission in the subsequent capstone course.

HIS
791
Capstone for Research Historians

The capstone experience integrates knowledge and skills developed in previous coursework with a focus on developing scholarship in a student's chosen area of specialization. This course extends students' research proposals into a formal capstone project. Students will workshop and submit their final capstone projects in this course.

Total Credits: 33

Program Outcomes

Assess the significance of larger themes in American history within original scholarship by analyzing relationships among historical narratives, perspectives, and trends within particular contexts

Assess the significance of larger themes in American history within original scholarship by analyzing relationships among historical narratives, perspectives, and trends within particular contexts

Generate American history scholarship through the sophisticated application of a chosen methodology and a relevant lens of analysis that extends the body of historical knowledge

Develop sophisticated interpretations of history that are substantiated by cogent syntheses of appropriate primary and secondary sources

Analyze historical scholarship for its credibility, methodologies, biases, and potential implications with a professional level of objectivity and precision of thought

Craft written communications that are effectively tailored to one's audience, exhibit an economical command of language, and accurately apply appropriate styles and conventions

Articulate and act in accordance with an ethical system that incorporates the societal responsibilities entrusted to historians as the caretakers of our collective narratives and cultural identities

Defend the essential relevance of the past for making informed decisions in the future by promoting transparency in the interpretation of historical truth

Tuition & Fees

Tuition rates for SNHU's online degree programs are among the lowest in the nation. We offer a 25% tuition discount for U.S. service members, both full and part time, and the spouses of those on active duty.

Online Graduate Programs

Per Course*

Per Credit Hour*

Degree/Certificates

$1,881

$627

Degree/Certificates
(U.S. service members, both full and part time, and the spouses of those on active duty)